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Trucker charged in local woman’s death

Van Wert independent/media reports

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Fort Wayne media are reporting that a Wisconsin truck driver who killed two women, including a Convoy resident, a year ago Wednesday is now facing a number of charges in connection with the crash.

Court artwork 12-2013 copyScott A. Saunders, 51, of Kenosha, Wis., has been charged with felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, criminal recklessness and criminal recklessness with a deadly weapon (his semi) as a result of the accident that occurred January 8, 2013. Other charges include disregarding a lighted signal, following too closely, failure to yield the right of way, and speeding.

According to crash investigators, Saunders’ semi slammed into a line of five vehicles moving slowly from a traffic light at the intersection of Doyle Road and U.S. 30 just east of New Haven, Ind., killing Convoy resident Sandra Dealey, 43, and Suzanne Stephenson, 65, of Monroeville, Ind., who were both driving vehicles involved in the crash.

Dealey’s BMW was the second vehicle to be hit in the chain-reaction accident, with Stephenson’s car hit first by the semi tractor-trailer rig.

Saunders told investigators he was driving approximately 50 mph at the time of the crash, but no signs of the truck driver attempting to stop were found during the crash scene investigation.

Also compelling to investigators, Saunders was found to have been involved in two other accidents, with one of those occurred approximately two weeks before the New Haven crash.

An indictment filed against Saunders noted that the trucker “acted in plain, conscious and unjustified disregard for the harm that might result of his conduct.”

Saunders is apparently not in custody at this time, and no information has been released on whether he has been served with a copy of the indictment handed down against him.

POSTED: 01/11/14 at 8:56 am. FILED UNDER: News